The Reggio Emilia Approach to Education and Its Relationship to Art Education

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Reggio Emilia Approach to Education and Its Relationship to Art Education Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2006 The Reggio Emilia approach to education and its relationship to art education Debra N. Hart West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Hart, Debra N., "The Reggio Emilia approach to education and its relationship to art education" (2006). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 3231. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/3231 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Reggio Emilia Approach to Education and Its Relationship to Art Education Debra N. Hart Project Report submitted to the College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts In Art Education Dr. William J. Thomas, Chair Dr. Victoria Fergus Professor Kristina Olson Division of Art Morgantown, West Virginia 2006 Keywords: Art, Art Education, Reggio Emilia Approach Copyright 2006 Debra N. Hart ABSTRACT The Reggio Emilia Approach to Education and Its Relationship to Art Education Debra N. Hart This project deals with the concept of the Reggio Emilia approach to education. This open-ended, child-centered method of teaching is coming into light as a methodology used to educate children in a positive and nurturing manner. From its basic philosophy and its guiding principles, the Reggio Emilia approach to education has a strong foundation. Its background, historical context, and existing literature on educational psychology support the use of this method. Current practices in art education and national and state standards make it difficult to envision the implementation of the Reggio Emilia approach to education, since it would require a dramatic shift from a subject-centered to a child-centered curriculum. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank many people in my life who have guided me through this learning process that has become a labor of love for me. Firstly, thank you to my family who has been there for me through thick and thin. A special thank you to my mother whom I wish could have been here to witness this event. Her inspiration as a third grade teacher has profoundly influenced my goal to become a teacher and to make a difference in the lives of my students. Secondly, thank you to my friends who, too, have endured the strenuous efforts of my stages in this master’s thesis. To those who have gone before me and to those who will follow in my footsteps, I thank you all. Thirdly, I wish to exuberantly thank my advisor and professor, Dr. William J. Thomas for providing the encouragement and the motivation to develop this thesis based on a simple article on Reggio Emilia that existed in his files, just waiting for me to get a hold of this concept. Dr. Thomas is a very special person, with a gift for teaching students of all levels. Additionally I wish to thank all of my thesis committee: Dr. Victoria Fergus and Professor Kristina Olson for their unending support and all that they have taught me through these years. They have shown me that no matter how much knowledge one obtains, there is always so much more to learn. I wish to extend this thanks to Dr. Joy Saab, for showing us Reggio Emilia itself and the true wonders of the “real thing”. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements................................................................................................ iii Introduction: The Basic Philosophy of the Reggio Emilia Approach .....................1 Guiding Principles of Reggio Emilia................................................................... 1-6 Background of Reggio Emilia: Historical Context and Existing Literature ............................................................................................. 6-16 The Relationship Between Reggio Emilia and Current Points of View in Art Education .......................................................................................................................... 17-24 The Relationship Between Published Art Education Standards and Reggio Emilia: National and State (NAEA) Standards ................................................ 25-32 Chapman and Hubbard ........................................................................ 32-39 Can Art Education Be Taught in a “Reggio Emilia” Way in the U.S. Public Schools? .......................................................................................................................... 39-42 Implications for Art Education ........................................................................ 42-43 References........................................................................................................ 44-46 1 Basic Philosophy of the Reggio Emilia Approach to Education “A work of art expresses a conception of life, emotion, inward reality. But it is neither a confessional nor a frozen tantrum; it is a developed metaphor, a non-discursive symbol that articulates what is verbally ineffable- the logic of the consciousness itself.”1 -Suzanne Langer Within this quote by Susanne Langer, a twentieth century philosopher who describes what art is, there is a metaphor that helps us to understand the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. In teaching art to his or her students, a competent teacher will allow the creative spirit to thrive within each student and encourage the student’s self- expressiveness. The Reggio Emilia approach is based on this kind of thinking. Although it is not specifically used to teach only art, it is a philosophy of teaching that believes in the children’s abilities, in hope, and in the possibilities that can occur in learning because of an open-mindedness regarding the human being. Guiding Principles The Reggio Emilia approach to education is one that consists of two major principles which are deeply interrelated. The first major principle deals with the nature of the child. The Reggio Emilia philosophy believes in a very particular and positive image of the young child. These educators believe that the young child comes to the classroom both knowledgeable and competent. They believe that the child has something significant to contribute to their educational process and that they have inherent knowledge that they 1 Suzanne Langer. Problems of Art: Ten Philosophical Lectures (New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner and Sons, 1957), 23. 2 bring to the classroom to share. At the turn of the century, the German philosopher, Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (1782-1852), presented the concept of the educational significance of children’s play. It was Froebel who was the first to develop a school on the theory of a garden of children, and coined the name Kindergarten, comparing the educational growth of a child to the growth of a plant. Prior to Froebel, Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was the first to popularize the aspect of romantic naturalism in educational philosophy, emphasizing the voluntary impulses of children. Rousseau believed that nature must have free play, and it must be uninhibited. The nature of the learning process is the second major principle and is dictated by Reggio Emilia’s ideas about the nature of the child. The learning process is collaborative and discovery-based and, as such, it takes the form of long-term projects designed in an open-ended manner. This allows students complete exploration of their world and learning environment. The Reggio Emilia concept that “creativity takes time…” is employed by long, unstructured blocks of time for research and creativity to take place. The teachers of Reggio Emilia encourage the natural ability of the child to come out. Although the teachers play an active role in collaborating with the students, they also let the students work in a free-thinking mode, allowing for ideas of the students to take precedence in the formation of a project’s concept. The project takes shape in consultation with students, teachers, and members of the community. In addition, the nature of the learning process is further defined by the following. First, Reggio Emilia educators believe that the role of the learning environment is to teach the students. The environment is everything and should be designed as such. For example, because they believe that the child can handle glass, dining tables are set with 3 real tablecloths and cloth napkins, authentic silverware, and glasses made out of glass. Centerpieces are made of live plants. They are truly trying to make the school like the home, which is basically a community-based educational philosophy. This facilitates a smooth and more comfortable transition from the home to the school environment. It is natural for the home and school to be connected. This also provides a very stable and un- fractured environment for the child. There is a great importance placed on the home and the school relationship. Additionally, this truly shows
Recommended publications
  • Teachers' Understandings and Beliefs About the Role of the Learning Environment Ladda Prasertsintanah
    TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDINGS AND BELIEFS ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT by LADDA PRASERTSINTANAH B.B.A., Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 2000 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Early Childhood Education) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (VANCOUVER) July 2008 ©Ladda Prasertsintanah, 2008 ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to investigate early childhood educators' understandings and beliefs about the role of the early childhood learning environment. In particular, this study was conducted in four Reggio Emilia inspired Canadian childcare and preschool classrooms in order to examine how the fundamental principles of the Reggio Emilia approach were interpreted within a Canadian context. Semi-structured interviews were employed with ten educators to investigate their knowledge, experiences, and beliefs about the learning environment. The data sources included interview notes, audiotapes, and photos of the classroom environment without any child/adult present. The teachers’ beliefs about the role of the learning environment were reflected in materials, aesthetics, and documentation. First, the participants believed that children need to have access to a wide range of materials to stimulate and support their play. Second, several participants stressed the importance of creating the sense of well-being that an aesthetically-pleasing and well-kept classroom provides. Finally, the concept of making learning visible requires a number of participants to collect the children’s works and experiences in as many types of media as possible. The findings suggest that such an interpretation of environment is highly dependent on teachers’ and other adults’ views of development; that variations in practices may reflect cultural differences in both beliefs about, and expectations for, their children.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Childhood Education and Beyond
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 381 264 PS 023 164 AUTHOR Firlik, Russ TITLE Early Childhood Education and Beyond: Can We Adapt the Practices and Philosophies from the Preschoolsof Reggio Emilia, Italy into Our Elementary Schools in America? PUB DATE Mar 95 NOTE 14p. PUB TYPE Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Administrator Role; Comparative Analysis; Constructivism (Learning); *Cultural Differences; Educational Attitudes; Elementary Education; Parent Participation; Preschool Education; School Readiness; *Teaching Methods IDENTIFIERS Developmentally Appropriate Programs; Project Approach (Katz and Chard); *Reggio Emilia Approach ABSTRACT The model presented by the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is one of cooperation and collaborationsamong teachers, parents, and children; curriculum basedon the "project approach," and constructivist learning philosophy, whichstates that children construct their knowledge and valuesas a result of interactions with and action on the physical and social world. American early childhood educators and researchers have expressed notable interest in the Reggio Emilia programs; however differences in the American and European thinking attitudes withina macro society, and cultural conventions make adaptingor transporting methods with European roots difficult at best. An example of differences in thinking would be the way Americans have discarded European traditions of evaluating ideas and systems of thought according to "intellectual consistency" or aesthetic
    [Show full text]
  • Can the Reggio Emilia Approach Help with the Implementation of the New Quebec Curriculum?
    ADAPTING TO CHANGE: CAN THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH HELP WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW QUEBEC CURRICULUM? PAULINE MESHER & HELEN AMORIGGI McGiII University ABSTRACT. Educators in Quebec are faced with implementation of a curricu­ lum reform, which places particular emphasis on young children's learning. One of the most highly regarded approaches to early childhood education is the Reggio Emilia approach, which began in Italy after the Second World War. Documentation of the success of this approach reveals imaginative and creative work produced by three-, four- and five-year-old children. The Reggio Emilia approach has significant similarities to the new Quebec curriculum. These include building on children's previous experiences; allowing children to set goals for themselves and decide on choice of projects; and drawing on a variety of 'languages' to represent children's ideas (e.g. artistic, verbal, or symbolic). In this article, we explore three relevant components of the Reggio Emilia approach which could assist in the impIe­ mentation of the new Quebec curriculum: 1) the environment, 2) project­ based learning, and 3) documentation. AJUSTEMENT AU CHANGEMENT: LA DÉMARCHE DE REGGIO EMILIA PEUT-ELLE CONTRIBUER À LA MISE EN ŒUVRE DU NOUVEAU CURSUS DU QUÉBEC? RÉSUMÉ. Les éducateurs du Québec sont tenus de mettre en œuvre une réforme du programme scolaire qui attache plus d'importance à l'apprentissage des jeunes enfants. L'une des méthodes d'enseignement préscolaire particulièrement prisées est la méthode de Reggio Emilia, qui a débuté en Italie après la Deuxième guerre mondiale. Le succès de cette méthode est attesté par des œuvres imaginatives et créatives conçues par des enfants de trois, quatre et cinq ans.
    [Show full text]
  • Science and Reggio Emilia Approach
    AN INTERPRETIVIST APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING HOW NATURAL SCIENCES ARE REPRESENTED IN A REGGIO EMILIA-INSPIRED PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Hatice Zeynep Inan, M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2007 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Rebecca Kantor-Martin, adviser ______________________ Professor Kathy Cabe Trundle, co-adviser ______________________ Professor Laurie Katz Adviser and Co-adviser College of Education & Human Ecology Copyright by Hatice Zeynep Inan 2007 ABSTRACT This ethnographic study explores aspects of how the natural sciences are represented in a Reggio Emilia-inspired laboratory preschool. The natural sciences as a discipline, a latecomer to preschool curricula, and the internationally-known approach, Reggio Emilia, have interested educators and researchers, but there is little research about Science in Reggio Emilia. The current research aimed to gain insight into natural science experiences in a Reggio Emilia-inspired classroom. To gain in-depth information, this inquiry-based study adapted a research design with ethnographic data collection techniques (i.e., interview, observation, document/artifact collection, and field- notes). The data were analyzed from an interpretive perspective using multiple lenses. These lenses included classroom culture, the Reggio Emilia approach, and Early Learning Content Standards. Several theories guided the study design, including data gathering and analysis. These theories included Spradley’s (1980) Developmental Research Sequence Method, which is a well-known ethnographic method, and Corsaro’s (1997) peer culture theory. The study involved 18 preschoolers, 10 teachers, and a program director. The results indicated that the Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool offered a science-rich context that triggered and supported preschoolers’ inquiries, and effectively engaged preschoolers’ hands, heads and hearts with science.
    [Show full text]
  • Reggio Emilia Approach
    Reggio Emilia Approach By Andrew Loh, Dec 2006 Hailed as the best pre-schools in the world by Newsweek magazine in 1991, the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education has attracted the worldwide attention of educators, researchers and just about anyone interested in early childhood education best practices. Even the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)'s revised version of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) guidelines also included examples from Reggio approach. Today, Reggio approach has been adopted in USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia and many other countries. Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994) founded the 'Reggio Emilia' approach at a city in northern Italy called Reggio Emilia. The 'Reggio' approach was developed for municipal child-care and education programs serving children below six. The approach requires children to be seen as competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative, inventive and possess a desire to interact and communicate with others. The 'Reggio' vision of the child as a competent learner has produced a strong child-directed curriculum model. The curriculum has purposive progression but not scope and sequence. Teachers follow the children's interests and do not provide focused instruction in reading and writing. Reggio approach has a strong belief that children learn through interaction with others, including parents, staff and peers in a friendly learning environment. Here are some key features of Reggio Emilia's early childhood program: The role of the environment-as-teacher Within the Reggio Emilia schools, the educators are very concerned about what their school environments teach children. Hence, a great attention is given to the look and feel of the classroom.
    [Show full text]
  • Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education
    Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 29, No. 2, Winter 2001 ( 2001) Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education Valarie Mercilliott Hewett1,2,3 Reggio Emilia, a prosperous region in Northern Italy, is the site of one of the most innovative, high-quality city-run infant-toddler and pre-primary systems in the world. The Reggio Emilia Ap- proach to early childhood education draws from the ideas of many great thinkers, yet it is much more than an eclectic mix of theories. With that in mind, the following points concerning the learner, the instructor, and knowledge serve to guide the Reggio Emilia Approach to educating young children: the learner possesses rights, is an active constructor of knowledge, and is a social being; the instructor is a collaborator and co-learner along with the child, a guide and facilitator, and a researcher; and knowledge is viewed as being socially constructed, encompassing multiple forms of knowing, and comprised of meaningful wholes. KEY WORDS: curriculum; early childhood education; Italy; Reggio Emilia. INTRODUCTION As part of the city’s post-war reconstruction, the first school for young children in Reggio Emilia was Reggio Emilia, a prosperous region in Northern It- built literally by the hands of parents using proceeds aly, is the site of one of the most innovative, high-qual- gained from the sale of a war tank, three trucks, and six ity, city-run infant-toddler and pre-primary systems in horses left behind by retreating Germans (Gandini, the world (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1993; New, 1993; Malaguzzi, 1993b; Walsh & Albrecht, 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • Cooperation Between Parents and Preschool Institutions Through Different Concepts of Preschool Education
    c e p s Journal | Vol.7 | No4 | Year 2017 207 Cooperation between Parents and Preschool Institutions through Different Concepts of Preschool Education Sanja Berčnik*1 and Tatjana Devjak2 • This paper analyses the importance, role, and methods of cooperation between parents and preschool institutions through the different con- cepts of preschool education and different educational approaches and formal frameworks. Through educational approaches, the authors ana- lyse how cooperation affects the implementation of preschool education in alternative educational approaches, such as the Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia approaches, and Slovenian public preschool institu- tions. They envisage that different educational approaches in preschool education perceive the importance and role of cooperation with parents differently and conclude that there are various models of cooperation, which can be demonstrated through a theoretical analysis of the afore- mentioned alternative preschool approaches. In their view, partnership promotes a shared commitment to the quality realisation of educational goals; it also develops understanding and an ethos of openness in the relationship between all actors in the process of care and education of preschool children. Keywords: alternative educational concepts, cooperation between parents and preschool institutions, public preschool institution 1 *Corresponding Author. University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia; [email protected]. 2 University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia. 208 cooperation between parents and preschool institutions through different ... Sodelovanje med starši in vzgojitelji v različnih konceptih predšolske vzgoje Sanja Berčnik in Tatjana Devjak • Prispevek skozi različne modele predšolske vzgoje in različne vzgo- jne pristope ter formalne okvire analizira pomen, vlogo in načine sodelovanja med starši in vrtcem.
    [Show full text]
  • Creativity and the Reggio Emilia Approach
    The William & Mary Educational Review Volume 2 Issue 2 Article 14 4-1-2014 Creativity and the Reggio Emilia Approach Duna Alkhudhair College of William & Mary Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/wmer Part of the Educational Methods Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, and the Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons Recommended Citation Alkhudhair, Duna (2014) "Creativity and the Reggio Emilia Approach," The William & Mary Educational Review: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/wmer/vol2/iss2/14 This Articles is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in The William & Mary Educational Review by an authorized editor of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 52 The William & Mary Educational Review Creativity and The Reggio Emilia Approach Duna Alkudhair Abstract The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education was developed in the city of Reggio Emilia after the Second World War under the leadership of Loris Malaguzzi. Today, Reggio Emilia schools stand as exemplars for the development of young children’s creativity. This paper provides an overview of the Reggio Emilia approach and examines how it aligns with current research findings related to the development of creativity in young children. Keywords: Creativity, Early childhood education, Reggio Emilia Introduction and valued by that person or others” (Mayesky, 1998, The city of Reggio Emilia, located in the p. 4). Widely regarded aspects of creativity include northern region of Italy, prides itself as a diverse city imagination, curiosity, risk-taking, wonderment, with a strong sense of community that cares for the flexibility, experimentation, breaking of boundaries, emotional wellbeing and education of young and openness to new perspectives (Prentice, 2000).
    [Show full text]
  • Make It Meaningful! Emergent Literacy in the Kindergarten Years
    Conference 2012 Make It Meaningful! Emergent Literacy in the Kindergarten Years Building on their workshop presented at the ECEBC conference, these educators explore how one can foster an environment that supports emergent literacy development in a Reggio Emilia-inspired kindergarten classroom. BY LAURA LOGARIDIS, KATIE TRANter, AND LeslIE SIEGRIst Introduction In an emergent program, children programming. Although we know act as the protagonists of their that this type of program is best As many ECEs know, the Reggio own educational journeys and are suited for early learners, we can be Emilia philosophy was developed given freedom to construct their challenged as educators to meet for preschool and primary-age chil- own learning and deepen their this balance between our beliefs dren by the educators and parents understanding through authentic and curricular expectations. In in the region of Reggio Emilia, a experiences. In our Canadian con- our experiences of working with small city situated in Northern Italy. text, where curricular pressures for three-to-six-year-old students, we Through the development of this kindergarten teachers exist, educa- have found that it is possible to approach over the past 60 years, tors may often feel comfortable foster an environment where play many key elements have emerged, aligning the structure of Reggio and an emergent curriculum are which have come to be known as the Emilia in the areas of science, art, also inclusive of emergent literacy defining principles. These principles and mathematics. However, when development. Literacy can and does include an emergent curriculum, it comes to literacy, the pressure develop naturally in a classroom project work, representation, docu- to use traditional practices such as environment that is purposeful in mentation, importance of environ- teacher-directed instruction and its organization and where depth ment, and teachers as researchers prescriptive programming persists.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reggio Emilia Approach
    The Reggio Emilia Approach Prospect Latin School focuses on the Reggio Emilia (pronounced red'jO AmE'lya) approach to early childhood education. Hailed by Newsweek Magazine® as “the best preschool approach in the world,” the Reggio approach was developed after World War II for municipal pre-primary schools (children under age six) in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The approach allows children to readily acquire the skills of critical thinking and collaboration and today, has been widely adopted throughout the United States, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Characteristics include: Inquiry and Invention Documentation as Assessment & Advocacy Students have an innate desire to understand their world Teachers act as documenters for the children, helping and master ways of interacting in it. Students learn them trace and revisit their words and actions and through the complementary processes of (1) Inquiry: a thereby making the learning visible. Teachers document cycle of hypothesis, experimentation, and conclusion and and display the student’s project work to help student’s (2) Invention: a cycle of experience, reflection, and express, revisit, construct, and reconstruct their feelings, expression. ideas, and understandings. Similar to the portfolio approach, documentation of children's work-in-progress Research Projects: Connecting Ideas is viewed as an important tool in the learning process. Groups of students engage in multi-disciplinary research Pictures of children engaged in experiences, their words projects. Research groups apply cognitive, expressive, as they discuss what they are doing, feeling, and thinking and inventive skills by responding, recording, playing, and the children's interpretation of experience through exploring, hypothesis building, testing, and provoking the visual media are displayed as a graphic presentation upon their thoughts and ideas.
    [Show full text]
  • Reconsidering the Education of Gifted Young Children
    Exceptionality Education International Volume 19 Issue 3 Article 4 9-1-2009 Reconsidering the Education of Gifted Young Children Yuan Lai The University of British Columbia, [email protected] Abstract While conceptualizations of giftedness have been broadened to include many forms of giftedness, a reconceptualization of gifted programs has not followed. The paper argues that the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, combining important features of the fields of early childhood education and gifted education, is a good fit for giftedoung y children. This approach is proposed for gifted young children because of its view of children as competent and full of po-tential, its emphasis on the development of symbolic languages early in life, and its conduciveness to higher-level thinking. The paper suggests that the Reggio ap- proach not only enhances intellectual development, but also nurtures multiple forms of knowledge representation in early childhood, thus laying foundations for diverse talent development. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 96- 110 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Lai, Y. (2009) Reconsidering the Education of Gifted Young Children. Exceptionality Education International, 19, 96-110. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei/vol19/iss3/4 This Article is brought to you by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Exceptionality Education International by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Exceptionality Education International 2009, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 96-110 Reconsidering the Education of Gifted Young Children with the Reggio Emilia Approach Yuan Lai The University of British Columbia Abstract While conceptualizations of giftedness have been broadened to include many forms of giftedness, a reconceptualization of gifted programs has not followed.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring Pedagogical Relationships Within a Culture of Creativity in a Reggio Emilia-Inspired School
    EXPLORING PEDAGOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY IN A REGGIO EMILIA-INSPIRED SCHOOL by Barbara A.T. Becraft A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 2013 Copyright by Barbara A. T. Becraft 2013 ii EXPLORING PEDAGOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY IN A REGGIO EMILIA-INSPIRED SCHOOL by Barbara A.T. Becraft This dissertation was prepared under the direction of the candidate's dissertation advisor, Dr. Gail E. Burnaford, Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry, and has been approved by the members of her supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty of the College of Education and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Gail E. Burnaford, Ph.D. Dissertation Advisor ~fM;tfHIL, Nancy Brown, E . ~vL~ Susannah Brown, Ph.D. 111 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my family and closest friends for encouraging me to be true to myself and become the “protagonist” of my own story. To my father, most especially, I am grateful for believing in me before I was able to believe in myself. This work is dedicated to his memory. To my husband, I am thankful always for his endless supply of optimism and support. To my colleagues and mentors at Florida Atlantic University, I thank you for staying by my side in this work and seeing it through to the end with me.
    [Show full text]